Issue 009
Instructors vs. Learners
The best teacher in the world can make your worst subject interesting enough so you can learn it. And the worst teacher in the world can take your favorite subject and make you want to give up or run away screaming. I’m not a teaching expert by any means, but I do know the following.
The classroom should support mutual respect and be a safe place for learners to question the material, interact with it, experiment, and ultimately lead down the right paths. Instructors need to nurture and challenge learners, not knock them down-- being the coach and more often the cheerleader. Learners need opportunities to make mistakes and to learn from them and therefore grow into the knowledge and master proper methodologies. Ultimately, learners need to discover the learning themselves. An instructor can’t make them learn (something akin to leading horses to water), but the instructor must setup the environment for discovery.
The question becomes: Do you want students to only learn the material? Or do you want them to learn how to think through issues and then be able to apply what they learn to overcoming challenges?
And learners? Don’t give up. Ask for specific feedback. Demand help. Be the student who wants to gain 30 years of experience in a semester and meet your educational goals.
Buccaneer Scholarship
In his Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar book, author James Bach discusses how self-education can lead to success. It was enlightening to read about his story, and apply it to my own pursuit of knowledge. Here are a few important takeaways:
“My plan is easy to summarize: get out and try stuff.”
And “for knowledge workers, the right idea at the right time will lead to success, wealth, and happiness.” So you need to learn more in order to create more ideas.
“Successful companies don’t try to mechanize or dictate thinking. Instead they create an environment that supports and encourages experimentation and problem-solving.” More leaders need to understand and follow this tenet.
“Integrity means living consistently with how you present yourself to others.”
I also felt that his thoughts on being part of a “buccaneering community" is to be challenged, debated, and irritated by your most loyal friends. Read more here.
Required Reading
Explore my carefully-curated collection of Art+Life books including fiction and nonfiction.
Featured Book
To deliver key players that are both realistic and compelling, writers must know them intimately-not only who they are in the present story, but also what made them that way. The aftershocks of trauma can change who they are, alter what they believe, and sabotage their ability to achieve meaningful goals, all of which will affect the trajectory of your story. Identifying the backstory wound is crucial to understanding how it will shape your character's behavior, and The Emotional Wound Thesaurus can help.
Recent writing-related articles
Find this content useful?
Thank me with a virtual cup of coffee and/or work with me on your next project. Click for more information.